Current status of the planned ring bus route
The new public transport route network, which was approved by the city council in January 2016 with the third update of the local transport plan, will go into operation with the timetable change on 10 December 2017.
In addition to the new tram line via Reichenhainer Straße to the Technical University and the Technopark, the central innovation is a new ring bus line.
This ring bus route is a completely new transport service. It connects the TU Campus and Technopark directly with the districts of Kaßberg, Schloßchemnitz, Sonnenberg and Luther Quarter as well as the Sachsen-Allee shopping centre. The line will create new travel options that will significantly improve journey times and at the same time reduce the frequency of transfers between the districts. It will run every 20 minutes in both directions (identified by route numbers 82 A and 82 B). The central stop will not be served.
Of the total of 30 stops to be served, 15 already exist. Of these, the stops Am Wartburghof, Schlossviertel and Kanalstraße were recently upgraded. The Hechlerstraße stop is currently under construction.
The other 15 stops are completely new stops, which will provide very good access to the route. Some of these new stops have already been built (Fraunhoferstraße Süd, Technopark, Am Technologiecampus).
The construction of the remaining 12 new stops is currently being delayed. The reason for this is that the civil engineering department has not received any economically viable offers. As a result, the city of Chemnitz has decided to cancel the contract award and put the construction measures out to tender again. The complete barrier-free upgrade of the stops will therefore not begin until spring 2018. Where technically feasible, the stops will then also be equipped with passenger shelters and dynamic information boards.
Until then, however, all 30 planned bus stop locations will go into operation for the timetable change in December 2017. In the meantime, temporary bus platforms made of asphalt will be constructed or the stops will be set up in the existing pavement area.